Common Southern Slang for ESL Learners

A redneck

Redneck is a general term for a person who works outside (and gets a red neck from being in the sun all day). Nowadays, this is a term that is used for anyone who lives in the country, and it is embraced by many people as a way of describing people from outside of cities.

Comedians have been using this term for years, and although it might sound like a derogatory term, many people actually embrace the title “redneck” and associate it with the Southern lifestyle.

Example: They love country music and big trucks. They are definitely rednecks.

Britches

Britches are pants! That’s right: pants.

Example: You have a hole in your britches.

Too big for your britches

To think very highly of yourself is to be too big for your britches.

Example: She moved to the city and now she’s too big for her britches.

Fixin’ to

Getting ready to do something.

Example: I’m fixin’ to go to the store. Do you want anything?

To have a hankering for something

To have a strong desire (a craving) for something

Example: I have a hankering for some pie.

Kin/kinfolk

Family

Example: I will do anything for you. You’re kin!

Reckon

Think

Example: I reckon that they’re coming home in two days.

Younguns/youngins

Youth

Example: Today’s younguns are always using their iPhones.

These Southern words have made their way into the vocabulary of many people from around the United States. In fact, you might hear your teacher or host family (jokingly) using these words! Ask your American friend to give you their best Southern accent and have a laugh when they try to mimic the famous accent of Southerners.

All of this talk about the South makes us hungry! You don’t have to travel all the way to the American South for delicious Southern food: we have delicious restaurants right here in SD and SF! Here are a few of our recommendations.

The best BBQ in SD and SF

If you are studying English in San Diego, you must try Phil’s! Phil’s is a restaurant that is loved by many San Diegans. It serves classic American barbecue (try the ribs! They’re delicious!) and the prices are affordable.

When you think BBQ, think “ribs.” Warning: you WILL get hungry! Photo from Phil’s.

If you are studying English at CISL San Francisco, check out Southpaw BBQ in The Mission. Delicious $1 ribs every Sunday? What a delicious deal! Southpaw also brews their own alcohol and liquors, so it is a great place to taste locally-produced beverages.

Their hickory smoked honey chicken is delicious! Photo from Southpaw.

Ribs for $1? We might be here every Sunday! Photo from Southpaw.

What’s your favorite restaurant in SD or SF? Tell us on Facebook! We love to see your pics and hear your recommendations!

Many Californians clearly produce the “r” sound, which is not true of some other parts of the United States. For example, the word “really” stresses the “r” a lot, so it sounds like “rrrreally.”

Vowels

Californians often do not distinguish from some vowels. For example, look at the following words with the “e” sound:

wreck, kettle, really

In California English, these words sound more like wrack and kattle and rally.

The same can happen with the “oo” sound. For example, think of the following words:

book, look, put

These can sound more like buck, luck, and putt.

Vocal Fry

Vocal fry is when the voice is very low and when the end of a word is pronounced in short, cut sounds. You’ve probably never heard of it. . . but you’ve probably heard it. Here is a great news report of vocal fry, which includes examples. Check out 1:30 in the video for some examples of the California accent as well!

There are many videos of Californian accents on YouTube, but one of our favorites is actress Emilia Clarke, who is famous for playing a main character on Game of Thrones. Watch her British accent change into an excellent (although a little exaggerated) California “Valley Girl” accent. It’s awesome!

Perhaps the best way to understand (and copy) the California accent is to understand how it differs from accents of other English speakers. Amy Walker, who is a famous accent coach with a successful YouTube channel about pronunciation, has an excellent video that shows four of the American accents. Check out minute 3:00 when she starts her California girl impression.

Have you noticed something? All of these California accent impersonations have been women. What about the guys??? The truth is that the California accent is most often attributed to females; however, men of course have an accent as well. They take on many of the traits that are expressed in these videos.

Do all Californians talk as the people in the videos do? Of course not. California, like the rest of America, is a melting pot of people from different places, cultures, and languages. These are just generally accepted traits of the “typical” California accent, and fun to practice if you want to sound like a California native!

Every language has words that are difficult to pronounce, and depending on your mother tongue, some sounds and letters might be more difficult to say than others. But there are some words in the English language that many learners have difficulty with regardless of their linguistic background. Do you know how to pronounce these words? Click on the recordings to hear the correct pronunciation and then practice saying the sentences below.

Tips

Tip: Say more than just your country or city. Tell the examiner a little more.

Example: I’m from Girona, which is a historic city about an hour from Barcelona.

Question #2: And what do you do there?

Tip: This question translates to “What is your job?” NOT “What are your hobbies?”

Example: I’m the manager of a tourism company.

Question #3:What do you like most about your job?

Tip: Repeating the question structure in your answer allows you to give an answer that is a complete sentence.

Example: What I like most about my job is meeting people from all over the world. When people are on vacation, they are usually in very good moods!

Question #4:What do you like most about studying English?

Tip: Give reasons for your answer.

Example: What I like most about studying English is that it allows me to understand song lyrics. In my free time, I’m a musician, so it’s really great to be able to listen to and understand the songs that inspire me.

Question #5:Where do you see yourself in five years?

Tip: Often a question will be posed that makes you speak in the future tenses. Notice this and use them appropriately. (For help with Future tenses, click here.)

Example: Well, as I really enjoy my job, I suppose I will still be working for the same company in the next five year. By then I hope I will have bought my own home as well. Hopefully I’ll have some spending money so that I will be able to travel often as well.

Question #6:Tell me about someone you admire.

Tip: Questions like this are an excellent opportunity to show your vocabulary skills!

Example: Someone I really admire is my younger sister. She’s a lawyer, and she’s incredibly driven and independent. I’m always impressed by her drive and ambition, especially since she is so young. I know she will go far in life.

Question #7:How did you arrive here today?

Tip: This is a question designed specifically to see if you can talk about the past. Give details and use the correct tense(s).

Example: Today I actually arrived here by car. Normally I take the train into the city, but my friend had a meeting and she offered to drive me. She picked me up about an hour before the test and dropped me off just outside. Thankfully, we didn’t hit any traffic!

Question #8:What are some of your hobbies or interests?

Tip: Always be prepared for this question. It’s common on proficiency tests.

Example: I love the outdoors. You can always find me outside playing sports, hiking in nature, enjoying the beach during the summer . . . if the weather is good, I’m outdoors! Although I also enjoy skiing in the winter, so I suppose I’m also out when the weather isn’t the greatest.

Question #9:Tell me about something you recently read.

Tip: Always be ready to talk about a book you’ve read, your favorite movie, your favorite holiday . . . any generic question you can think of! These questions are difficult to think of in your own language, so it’s important to prepare!

Example: I recently read an article about the Egyptian pharaoh, King Tut. Apparently there are conflicting studies about whether or not there are hidden rooms in the pyramid where his body was found. I thought it was fascinating to hear how the scientists disagree, and their reasons for thinking that their theories are correct.